Operational Executive: Strategic People & Ops Leadership
FMCG / Food & Bev /Agri ~ Retail
Sandton – Gauteng – South Africa
A global consumer brand with an extensive retail and franchise footprint seeks a senior executive to integrate people strategy with operational and commercial leadership. Operating across various countries and more than 1000 locations. The role partners closely with the executive team to ensure that talent strategy, operational infrastructure, and workforce capability directly support business growth, brand standards, and commercial performance.
This position blends strategic people leadership with operational discipline, ensuring that the organisation attracts, develops, and retains high-performing teams while maintaining an efficient, compliant and scalable operating environment.
This opportunity suits a commercially astute leader who combines deep people insight with operational acumen and can build high-performing teams across a complex, international retail network.
Essential Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or related discipline; MBA advantageous.
- 7–10 years’ progressive leadership experience across people strategy and operational leadership roles.
- Proven exposure to multi-site retail, FMCG or QSR environments.
- Strong understanding of employment legislation, HR systems and workforce analytics.
- Executive presence with the ability to influence EXCO and senior stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
- Align people and operational strategy with the organisation’s growth objectives and brand values.
- Lead the end-to-end employee lifecycle, including talent acquisition, capability development and performance management.
- Partner with franchise and operational leadership to ensure consistent execution of workforce strategy across markets.
- Analyse workforce and operational metrics to inform executive decision-making.
- Drive organisational development, cultural alignment and change management initiatives.
- Identify and implement operational improvements that enhance productivity and cost efficiency.
- Strengthen the organisation’s employer brand and talent pipeline within large-scale retail or franchise environments.